Virtual spaces filled with avatars are an attractive way to allow for the experience of a shared environment. However, existing shared environments generally lack facial feature sensing of sufficient quality to allow for the incarnation of a user, i.e., the endowment of an avatar with the likeness, expressions or gestures of the user. Quality facial feature sensing is a significant advantage because facial gestures are a primordial means of communications. Thus, the incarnation of a user augments the attractiveness of virtual spaces.
Existing methods of facial feature sensing typically use markers that are glued to a person's face. The use of markers for facial motion capture is cumbersome and has generally restricted the use of facial motion capture to high-cost applications such as movie production. Accordingly, there exists a significant need for a vision based motion capture systems that implements convenient and efficient facial feature sensing. The present invention satisfies this need.